Method of manufacturing hats and products thereof



April 25, 1939. H. FRANKMANN ET A1. 2,156,238-

v TI'ETHOD OF MANUFACTURING HATS AND PRODUCTS THEREOF Filed March 16, 1936 www? /NvE/v'roRs By GAA/(IMA (fg L* 1MM/H Patent'edApr. 25, 1939 UNITE-D 'I STATES i METHOD OF MANUFACTURING. HATS AND PRODUCTSv THEREOF Hans Frankmann and Hermann Haakh Vienna,v Austria f Application March 16, 1936, Serial No. 69,144

. In Austria`March 15, 1935 4 claims. (c1. 2 192) (Granted March 2,- 1927i It is well known to improve paper or fabrics\\ of inferior grade by covering them with a dust\\ of short hair, silk, artificial silkpr of some other fiber. The dust is fixed on the paper or fabric by means of an adhesive-gum and produces a material which represents an imitation of velour, since, paper or fabrics treated in this way have thev appearance of real velour.

This method has not been found practicable L in the hat-industry. 'The material thus made is too stili and cannot be blocked. If the material is cut into strips and again stitched together, it produces a hat which is hard and not pliable` enough. l On the'other hand hats and other head covervings of hair or wool'felt cannot be 'covered with a suitable covering of dust as the surface never attains an appearance similar or equal to other veloured"4 fabrics.

It has been found that it is nevertheless possiv` ble to produce on such felts a surface equal to velour if the nap of thev felts is so well covered with lac or with some other medium, which may be painted or sprayed on, that thefine hairs of the fabric do not penetrate the same.

In order to attainthis result either .the adhesive membrane mustbe thick or=a "covering membrane is first applied andv then suitable adhesive-gum painted or sprayed on the same. Hats or hoods treated according to this method must not be stiened thereafter but the desired degree of stiiness-is produced by the kind of lac used by diluting the same.

It will be apparentvthat the covering-membrane may be the thinner, the shorter the hat has been'pounced. If necessary the nap is carefully singed off.

For the purpose hereinbefore referred to lacs of many dliferent kinds may be employed. As a rule the lacs, which resemble the sliellac type in their qualities are to be recommended, because those in the trade are acquainted with them. Sometimes it is -desirable to employmediums for softening the lac. c

By means -of vsuch-an adhesive membrane me-` dium it is possible to ilx .in the shape of a hat or like head-covering, fabrics which are not inl the same shape before the covering membrane medium has been applied to them. By vthe lac the nbre or stitches are stuck together so vwell` that hats or caps, even when blocked out. of a plain fabric, keep their shape whenever they get very wet.

For this purposematerials of very different 55 kinds can be used.l Kneaded, woven or knitted under the provisions 0f sec. 14,"m or fabrics', braidings of straw, molines, curtain material and laces of the cheapest qualities and especially tricots may be employed. It is to be understood that the term fibrous material used in the claims `only extends to` materials of the 5 kind just set forth and to felt, i. e., to materials having a rough surface or napped surface and not to smoothy materials such as paper.

The following example describes with reference to the accompanying drawing the way in which a hat or cap is made of a cotton-tricot, which can be used plain or as` a hose.

Figure 1 of the drawing shows a hat in elevav tion and Figure 2 .a cross section ofit.

The tricot i is stretched overv the intended shape and if necessary it is bound with twine or the like. Then it is sprayed or painted with lac 2, covered with dust 3 and dried. After drying the unnished hat is ready.

In some cases, for instance with felted material, the tendency of a hatI which has become wet to turn again flat is su great, that the lacs are not sulcient to retain it in shape. It has been found however, that a membrane of vulcanized rubber instead of the lac prevents this danger in all cases. It is to be lu nderstood that the hat or the cap mustv possess its deiinitive shape before the rubber is'vulcanized. For this purpose solutions of rubber in organic solvents can beutilized. The solution can first `be applied and 304 afterwards the mediums for vulcanization. Also latex is very useful; especially in the mixtures which are nowadays on the market and which themselves contain the means for vulcanization and for its acceleration` In both case the rub- 35 j ber can be mixed with lacs similar to shellac. In the case of latex the same is naturally mixed with a solution of the lac in alkali.

Sometimes we prefer to iix a thin membrane of rubber, then to vulcanize, and lastly to `apply 40 the adhesive membrane of, caoutchouc' lac, or of the mixture of both. v

It will be understood that in the case of cheaper qualities, for instance with hats for fancy dress or the like purposes or with cheap hats for ladies, the expensive lacs may be replaced by cheap adhesive substance for instance by all kinds of glue or gums. Y

Head coverings made according to the above process can be manufactured entirely imp'ene- 50 trable or water. proof if care is taken that the adhesive layeris completely coherent. For this purpose the layer or. coat of adhesive should be ing is neither necessary nor in some cases even desirable, but certain kinds of head-coverings such as bathing-caps must be Waterproof.

What we claim is:

1. In the manufacture of hats, caps and the like head coverings the steps which consist in forming a fibrous body to definitive shape, applying thereto'a layer of rubber of sufcient thickness to cover completely the nap of said body, applying a dust of short bres to said rubber layer, and vulcanizing said'rubber layer.

2. In the manufacture of hats, caps and the like head coverings the steps which consist in forming a brous bodyto definitive shape, applying thereto a layer of rubber of suiicient thickness to cover completely the nap of ysaid body, Vulcanizing s aid rubber layer, applying thereto a layer of adhesive, and applying a dust of short fibres to said layer of adhesive.

3. A head covering such. as a hat comprising a soft iibrous body, aV membrane of vulcanized rubber on said body and short fibres attachedto, said layer of rubber.

4. A head covering such as a hat comprising` 

